Cellular communications systems use a variety of transceivers to connect cellular phones to the cellular network (or, “backbone,” which often refers specifically to the aggregated backhaul portion of a cellular network). These can include macro cells (or, cell towers), mini- and micro-cells, and even wireless routers. A majority of cellular calls, however, are affected using cell towers. Each cell tower may provide the ability to connect hundreds (e.g., for fourth generation, or 4G) or thousands (e.g., fifth generation, or 5G) of cellular calls and/or cellular data connections at the same time.
In some situations, however, a single cell tower, or even a few cell towers, may not be able to provide enough bandwidth to meet demand. At a concert, ball game, or other large event—which may be served by a single or a few cell towers—the number of cellular users may exceed the bandwidth available. As a result, users may experience slow connection speeds, dropped calls, denied connection, and other issues. In other situations such as natural disasters, antenna system support structures may be damaged, toppled, or completely destroyed.
Because these events may be temporary in nature, however, it may not be practical to install additional cell towers in the area. The cost to install and maintain a permanent cell tower may not be justified, for example, by the additional demand caused twice a month by football games at a stadium. To this end, cellular providers sometimes erect temporary cell sites to provide additional bandwidth during times of high demand.
Due to their construction, however, conventional temporary cell sites 100, like cell towers, are expensive, heavy, and bulky. As shown in FIG. 1, temporary cell sites 100 are generally mounted on heavy trucks 102 and include a telescoping mast 104 to hoist and support additional antennas 106 and cabling to provide additional bandwidth. In order to provide usable coverage, however, these masts 104 must be relatively tall (e.g., 50-100 feet) and thus, are very heavy. As a result, these systems are generally mounted on large commercial trucks 102, which alone can cost in excess of $100,000. And this does not include the mast 104, antennas 106, dishes 108, generators, base transceiver station (BTS), and attendant equipment. Thus, current temporary cell sites 100 can cost $50k-$200k, or more, depending on capacity.
Even using large commercial trucks 102, however, the coverage provided by these temporary cell sites 100 is nonetheless mechanically limited by (1) the mast and (2) the cabling required. In order to remain portable, yet still support its own weight and the weight of the necessary cabling from the antennas 106 to the truck 102, for example, the telescoping mast 104 is generally limited to approximately 120 feet tall. Any taller and the mast 104 becomes so massive that the structure required to support it and the attendant cabling becomes too massive to fit on and/or too heavy to be transported and stabilized by a standard commercial truck to prevent tipping. Thus, these temporary cell sites 100 provide only very limited coverage areas dictated at least in part by the relatively low height of the antennas 106.